I totally agree when people say "don't sporterize a piece of history". HOWEVER... Someone is offering a 1903 for trade to me and I was wondering if you guys could help me identify the rifle and help tell me if it's worth at least $300.

I really like the 1903 platform and the 30-06 would be great for moose hunting here. I just don't know much about the rifles. Any help would be great.

Well it is an 03 sporter, and the serial number is high enough to make it safe to shoot. Is it worth $300? Probably, but I'd try to get it for less as it needs more work IMO. I'd probably take a chance on it.

The military safety will not work with a scope mounted in low or medium rings, probably still has the old military trigger the can be either good or bad. No telling from the pics what kind of shape the stock is really in or condition of the barrel. However, it does appear to be a serviceable rifle, that with a little work would serve well as a slayer of moose.

The only holdback I would see on a deal like that, is if you can pull that front mount off and see anything about "National Ordnance". I also have seen a few bad posts about "Golden State Arms" stamped 1903's, but I don't know of anyone having a firsthand experience with them. I have a Golden State 98 Mauser- marked "Santa Fe 1946" so some such. It's been an absolutely fantastic rifle over the years.

$300 is a decent price. that's about average for sporterized models and at least the guy that did this one cared enough to put a decent stock on it instead of just cutting down the original.

all major concerns have already been listed or laid to rest. however I would like to point out that the bolt has NOT been bent to allow for scopes. the bolt on there is in original GI condition and may not work on all scopes. you may want to have a scope mounted in shop and verify that the bolt clears it during operation before buying the scope but just the fact that the bolt was not modified means that it will probably be a non-issue as long as you go with a standard 3-9x and not something gawdawful like a 6-28x tacticool sniper special from barska.

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ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar.
I never said half the crap people said I did-Albert Einstein
You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin
Bean counters told me I couldn't fire a man for being in a wheelchair, did it anyway. Ramps are expensive.-Cave Johnson.

At some point it was sporterized and the original barrel was replaced with a Remington 1903A3 barrel. This was done by either civilian owners or by outfits like Golden State Arms and others.

A note here on Golden State Arms. This was a California based company in the 60's that took US GI surplus receivers, barrels and parts and produced sporterized rifles. Golden State stamped the barrels with their name, cal. and model, in the case of the 1903, "Sharpshooter 0f 1942". These rifles were often found to be a mix of 03 receivers and A3 barrels as 03 barrels were somewhat scarce at that point. ALL parts used by Golden State Arms were US GI and the receivers were original Remington as stamped.
During those years, there were a number of players in the game and they all knew each other and were frequently in bed together. However, Nat. Ord and Santa Fe were the only one's that made and used cast reveivers and the serial numbers were stamped in the 5 mil range, the receivers were stamped Nat. Ord or Santa Fee. The bottom line here is what the receiver bridge is stamped as is what it is.

There should be a date stamped on the top of the barrel just behind the rear sight. This will be a 43 or 44 date, ie 4-43 etc.

The bolt appears to be an original 03 with the smooth profile but has been modified, polished, and bent down for scope use.

With the limited pictures, that's about all I can tell you. It has no collector value and falls in that $200 to $250 range.

The "fireball" is actually the US government ordnance bomb mark. Since your barrel is an '03-A3 and probably made by Remington, it should have behind the front sight an RA with the ordnance bomb underneath and a date (like 2-44) underneath that. Even though they cranked out those barrels by the tens (or even hundreds) of thousands they shoot remarkably well.

Looks like you did well for the trade. I would put a slip on recoil pad for my bony shoulders, and shoot the living day lights out of it just as it is. If it shoots under 4 inches at 100 yards it will do the job as long as you do yours.

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No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

Only addition I'd make other than a safety suited to the scope mounting, is the one piece firing pin conversion.

Rarely if a primer is pierced gas going back into the firing pin opening in the bolt face can drive the firing pin back hard enough to break off the front piece of the two piece firing pin, and the shaft and cocking piece can then be driven out the rear of the bolt endangering the shooter's aiming eye.

A rare occurance, but something that can be avoided almost entirely by converting to a one piece firing pin.

Avoid dry firing a rifle that has a two piece firing pin, the connecting lugs can crack after repeating dry firing.

Contary to popular belief almost any rifle action can be damaged by repeated dryfiring.

PS
I've always liked the looks of a properly done 1903 Springfield sporter. Finding one of these with so much work already done, and apparently done well, is a good find.
Room for improvement, but fine as is.

Starting from muzzle working back.
RA
(fireball octopus thingy)
5-44
XA72
A marking that looks out of place, I think it's the number 5
Another marking that's a B
Some weird things that kinda look like stars maybe or a hammer. Hard to tell.
U.S.
1215889
There is an R on the bolt. The R is on it's side facing up when you look at the right rear side of the bolt.

I don't see any other markings at this time.

Two questions: Is it normal for the receiver to have a polish or lacquer kind of look to it? And where can I get an original looking stock? I love the way those look.

alright the 5-44 is what the other guys were looking for, 5-44 means the barrel is from may of 1944. the RA above it means that it was a reminton barrel and the R on the bolt means that it is a remington bolt as well, they did a large amount of the post WWII refits before the rifles were placed back in storage, I have a springfield with a remington bolt in it. doesn't hurt it at all. those 1944 remington barrels were very accurate for the most part, you should have a very good shooter on your hands now.

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ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar.
I never said half the crap people said I did-Albert Einstein
You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin
Bean counters told me I couldn't fire a man for being in a wheelchair, did it anyway. Ramps are expensive.-Cave Johnson.

Your rifle was not rearsenaled by the military, it was sporterized by someone other than the military. The rifle has been polished and blued, the barrel changed to the later A3 model and the receiver was tapped and drilled for a scope mount. The bolt is an early Remington 1903 bolt (marked R as you noted) that was bent for a scope, again outside the military.
An original Springfield would have a dark parkerized finish, a military rebuild would have a greyish green parkerizing on all parts. In addition, you won't find a military rebuild of a 1903, Springfield or Remington with an 1903A3 barrel. The rear sight for a 1903 would be a ladder mounted at the rear of the barrel where as a 1903A3 would have a peep sight mounted on a dove tail milled into the rear receiver bridge. Thus, if you took a 1903 barrel off and put a 1903A3 barrel on, you wouldn't have a rear sight.
What you have is a typical sporterized 1903 Springfield. It was probably surplused out by the DCM in the late 40's or early 50's. There were many civilians that bought surplus rifles to make sporters and typically they took the shot out barrels off and put new surplus one's on. A3 barrels were in good supply where as 03's were not. The A3 barrels also looked better in that it didn't have the notches in the barrels where the rear sight sleeve mounted and would be exposed in a sporter stock such as yours.
The various markings on your barrel are steel lot codes and inspection marks put on as the barrel went through the various phases in it's making.

Finally, looking at your particular rifle, I would say it was done by a skilled gunsmith that knew what he was doing and did it well.

You could put it back in a military stock but you would need to spend about $300 for a stock and hardware to do it and you would still not be close to original. Add another $150 to have it bead blasted and parkerized and your up to $450, still not original. Buy a 1903 barrel with front and rear sights and your out another $350 or more.

The very best thing you can do is leave it as a very nice sporter that it is and go shoot some moose.

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